Mail-chute.



No. 821,275. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

P. E. ANDERSON.

MAIL GHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1905.

L 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. Q I

a Inventor:

No. 821,275. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

P. E. ANDERSON. MAIL OHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i 0 6 i Q l 6 Attest:

' Inventor: 244 Mam UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAIL-CHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i atented May 22, 1906.

Application filed May 23, 1905. Serial Nou 261,901.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK E. ANDERsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mail-chutes designed to receive mail-matter at different floors of a building and transmit it under the influence of gravity to a receptacle on a lower floor, from which the collector removes the mail at stated intervals.

The object of my invention is to provide means for readily closing or opening simultaneously the apertures at each floor designed for the reception of mail-matter to be transmitted to the mail-box below.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the mail-chute equipped with my device, a portion of the front of the mail-box at the lower end'being cut away to disclose interior parts, the cover or lid for the single mail-aperture shown being raised or open. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the operative parts, the cover or lid for the mailing-aperture being shown closed or lowered. Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the operating parts at a mailing-aperture, the sleeve being shown in vertical sections and the dotted lines showing the position of the parts when the cover is raised or open. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the like parts, a partial section being taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lever at the bottom of the device within the mail-box.

In the drawings, 1 represents a mail-chute secured in position against the wall 2, having at its lower end the mail-box 3 and several retaining-bands 4 for holding the chute in position.

5 represents one of the floors of the building.

6 is a mailing-aperture in the chute, 1t being understood that such apertures occur at each floor of the building, although to save space only one is shown in the drawings. At each mailing-aperture 6 a cover or 11d 7 1s hinged to the structure of the chute at 8, as best indicated in Fig. 4. The rod 9 extends along the entire length of the chute, running through the several guides 10 and being pivoted at its lower end 11 to lever 12, which is adapted to be shifted on its pin 18. The

outer end of lever 12 is provided with the movable pin or plug 14, adapted to be shifted in or out to engage or be freed from either of the holes 15 or 16 in the back of the mailchute. The pin 14 has a knob 17 and a fitted collar 18 to prevent complete withdrawal of the pin from lever 12. Opposite each mailing-aperture in the chute a sleeve 19 is fixed upon the rod 9 by a screw 20 or other device. A socket 21 Within the collar 19 is adapted to receive the round end 22 of an arm 23, which extends from the'side of the cover or lid 7 near its outer edge.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the mail-chute is clogged or when it is desired for any reason to prevent the insertion of mail-matter, an authorized person having access to the mail-box at the bottom of the chute Withdraws the pin 14 from the lower hole 16 and shiftslever 12 to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus lowering the rod 9 along the entire distance of the chute and shifting each collar 19 to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 3 to lower or close each lid or cover 7 across each mailing-aperture 6. As the collar 19 is in each instance lowered from its uppermost position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) the arm 23, secured to the outer portion of lid 7, is likewise lowered, turning downward the lid around its hinge 18, the arm 23 turning about its rounded end 22 within the socket 21 of collar 19.. If it is desired for any reason to so fix the parts that movement of rod 9 will be impossible, the operator who has shifted lever 12, as just described, may insert the pin 14 in the hole 15 to retain the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2. To open the cover 7 at each mailinga erture, the operator shifts the lever 12 into t e position shown in Fig. 1, thus raising rod 9 to the position shown in Fig. 1, shifting the collar 19 and connecting parts to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to raise the covers from the mailing-apertures to open the same for the reception of mail. To retain the rod 9 in its upper position with the covers 7 raised, the operator may insert pin 14 in hole 16. It Wlll be understood that the covers 7 are interdependent in their movement. Normally they are raised to permit the insertion of mail. The downward movement of rod 9 lowers all the covers 7 together, while the upward movement of said rod 9 raises all the covers.

By the use of my invention it is an easy matter to place a mail-chute out of commission for its entire length Whenever desired and by a simple movement under the control solely of an authorized person.

The sleeves 19 on the rod 9 are shown secured thereto by screws 20. They may, however, be more permanently fastened to the rod'by any convenient means, so that they cannot be shifted by a person unauthorized to shift the cover.

If the pin 14 is left in its outer position free from engagement with either holes 15 or 16, the rod 19 will be movable up or down to. open or close the cover 7 at any floor of the building and by any person havingaccess thereto. the position mentioned, any user of the chute discovering that the chute is clogged might close the covers, so that additional mail-matter would not beinserted and delayed thereby.

I What I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mail-chute having a plurality of mail-receiving apertures in different horizontal planes, covers for said apertures and means for simultaneously opening and closing said covers.

2. In a mail-chute having a lurality of mail-receiving apertures, covers or said ap- If, therefore, the pin 14 is left inertures, devices for opening and closing said covers and means extending vertically along 0 said chute whereby the operator may shift said covers simultaneously.

3. In a mail-chute having a plurality of' Y may be placed simultaneously in operative or inoperative condition by an operator.

4. In a mail-chute having a plurality of mail-receiving apertures provided with covers, means accessible only to authorized persons whereby said covers may be opened or closed simultaneously.

5. In a mail-chute having a plurality of mail-receiving apertures provided with covers, means for shifting said covers simultaneously to open or close the same, and means for securing all of said covers in open or closed position.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 19th day of May, A. D. 1905.

FRANK E. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

JosEPH A. STETsoN, M. KAUFFMAN. 

